


Shade

by Batwynn



Category: Drarry - Fandom, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adults, Ghosts, M/M, Temporary Character Death, after the war
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-27
Updated: 2014-03-27
Packaged: 2018-01-17 06:09:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1376707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Batwynn/pseuds/Batwynn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The last person Harry was expecting to run into in muggle London was Draco Malfoy. Even more unexpected, was being brought back to Draco's apartment to reveal one of his biggest secrets to his ex-enemy. As awkward and difficult as the whole thing was, Harry wouldn't mind going back there again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shade

**Author's Note:**

> -Unedited. My apologies.

  
  
Harry was walking down a very muggle street in a very muggle London when he spotted the blondest hair he had ever seen. Normally, he wouldn't have even made the connection if the git hadn't been on his mind the past week. There had been some rather strange news articles about the Malfoy's as of late. Rumors of ridiculous parties, frivolous spending, and something about a pet dragon. Harry never knew what to believe, it was the Daily Prophet after all.   
  
Considering his usual high-end life style, Harry had to wonder why in the world Draco Malfoy would be walking around muggle London ; and wearing muggle clothing, no less.   
  
Harry froze in his steps and made a quick decision. He had to know, his curiosity would gnaw at him all day if he wasted this chance. So, he turned around and ran to catch him up, calling out his name as he darted passed a few people walking the other way.   
  
"Malfoy! OI!"   
  
When the blond didn't turn around, Harry slowed his pace enough to fall behind him and tried again, "Malfoy?"   
  
His hand had been reaching out to grab the blond's arm, when Malfoy turned around quickly, wand in hand and a hex on his lips. Harry had a split second to raise his arm to cover his face before pain blossomed over body.   
  
He fell back with a cry, his tailbone taking the brunt of the impact against the cobbled street. With a faint whimper, he lowered his bleeding arm from his face and tried to stand up again. He could feel deep gash across his cheek start to bleed. Of course, he hadn't been quick enough to protect his face.   
  
"Bloody... _hell_ ..."   
  
  
"I don't know who you are, and I don't particularly care," drawled the voice from above him, "I would, however, like to know why you were following me."   
  
Harry groaned in response and curled around his burning arm. It was bleeding rather badly, and it was taking all of his concentration not to sob in pain. As he hunched forward, his glasses slipped off his nose and fell to the cobble stones with an obnoxious clatter. He heard Malfoy shift closer above him, then silence.   
  
  
" _Shit_ ... of course it had to be you."   
  
Harry managed to tilt his head up, meeting the blurry face with a half smile. "I wasn't following you, per-say... I sort of just... wanted to ask you something."   
  
"You creeped up on me, you bloody idiot!"   
  
"I called out!" Harry snapped, wincing when the movement stretched the cut on his face.   
  
Malfoy was still for a moment before muttering a soft, "oh..."   
  
Harry grimaced and leaned back over his arm, trying not to make a sound. He had to hold onto his last shred of dignity, at least in front of Malfoy. The problem was, it was getting harder and harder to focus on anything. Which was probably a bad sign.   
  
"Ma-Malfoy... can you just... call someone?"   
  
"Potter, the second I get someone's attention they will lock me away for attacking the 'Savior'," Malfoy hissed, coming closer to look over him.   
  
"I can't..." Harry mumbled and slumped forward as his consciousness faded away.   
  
  
Malfoy looked around the street and scowled at the few people waking past them. Of course Potter had put up a glamour to hide his robe-dressed self from the muggles. He couldn't just leave Potter dying on the street where no one could find him. The stupid charm would hold up as long as he was breathing. Which left a high chance of someone finding the a dead savior the next morning, rather than discovering him tonight and bringing him to safety.   
  
With a heavy sigh, Malfoy muttered a spell to make Harry float behind him, and took him to the one place he knew nether of them would have any trouble.   


* * *

  
  
It would be nice to say he felt magically better, no pain or aches or burning. But he didn't, and it was the pain that finally dragged him back to reality. He bid the pain free darkness goodbye and groaned awake.   
  
"Don't move about," came a voice as soon as he started to do exactly that.   
  
"Wasn' plannin on it," he grumbled automatically.   
  
"Well, this is _you_ we are talking about. It's in your blood to endanger yourself needlessly, Potter."   
  
Harry groaned again, this time not so much in pain, as annoyance.   
Why, dear god, was Malfoy still around? Where were they, anyway? People would start to talk if they saw the two of them hanging around one a other. He was no longer curious what the blond had been up to, he just wanted to get away as fast as possible.   
  
"I can deal with a few cuts, just..." he trailed off, squinting at the blob in front of him. A thought struck him and he gave the blurry figure a once over before making a disappointed sound.   
  
"What the _hell_ was that look?" Malfoy snapped immediately, "do my robes not suit your taste? Not that I was aware you _had_ any."   
  
"I can't even see you right now you egotistical prick. Where are my glasses anyway?," Harry asked, surprised at how little bite his voice had. He was exhausted, but arguing with Malfoy didn't hold much appeal either way.   
  
"Oh, well..." There was a shuffling noise and then Harry felt the cold metal rims brush against his skin. They settled on top of a small bandage on his nose. Harry frowned and reached up to touch his face in surprise. It was heavily bandaged up, and stung a lot less than it had before he passed out.   
  
"Did you do this?"   
  
"It's all I could do with what I have here. You can go find a medwitch to fix it up."   
  
"Thanks," Harry said slowly, "I guess."   
  
Draco stood there awkwardly for a moment until a flash of irritation crossed his face, and he sat down in the chair across from Harry with a huff.   
  
"I _suppose_ you can stay here until you're well enough to leave."   
  
Harry blinked at him and looked around at the bleary apartment. "Where _is_ here, exactly?"   
  
"Somewhere you won't be staying long."   
  
"So, your apartment then."   
  
Malfoy sputtered, sitting up in his seat to glare at him. "How?! How did you..."   
  
"You don't want me here. Therefor, it's your apartment." Harry flashed a smug smile before he was forced to stop by the pain in his face again. "You're like a bat. What is this, your man-cave? Haven't you heard of lights?"   
  
Draco's glare intensified and Harry was sure he was about to be hexed again. Only, he seemed to be doing poorly enough on his own. His chest had started constricting as he spoke, to the point where he could hardly breathe. He tried to lean back and relax, but nothing seemed to be helping.   
  
_Oh, I know this feeling._  
  
"Crap, not again," he groaned as his body started to shiver.   
  
"Excuse me?"   
  
"M-Malfoy, I need you... to call Hermione..."   
  
Malfoy sneered and folded his arms across his chest. "I think not. I refuse to allow Granger to know where I live."   
  
"Malfoy, come on," Harry whined, his eyes threatening to roll back into head.   
  
"I didn't even want to bring _you_ here, but I was out of options and you were bleeding all over the—"   
  
"Draco!... please," Harry begged as the edges of his vision starting to grow dark and fuzzy. Malfoy was just staring at him, startled and just beginning to look a little concerned. Harry wished he would focus and stop gaping at him like he was a freak, but it was far too late to stop it now. "Nngh... just, don't panic."   
  
Harry slumped down into his chair and let the wave of darkness overtake him for a second time. 

* * *

  
  
_Who was it going to be this time?_  
Harry wondered as his consciousness reawakened into a half dream. He was looking down from above, and the world looked as though all the color had been leeched out of it. It wasn't as impressive as the first few times, so Harry quickly moved on to look for his guest.   
  
"Wotcher, Harry!"   
  
Harry jumped a little and turned to see Tonks drifting closer with a warm smile. He hadn't seen her in a while, usually it was Sirius or Fred. With a weak smile, he reached out and hugged her. Even after months of this, it never got any easier to see them. Especially Fred. There was something about seeing him alone, without George by his side, that really made his chest hurt.   
  
"How's death?" He asked, the same joke he used every time.   
  
"I've lost weight, can't you tell, Harry?" She joked back, smacking his arm playfully. "How's life?"   
  
"Well, not much happening right now. Actually," he amended, " I just got attacked by that git down there."   
  
"Ooh, the blond one who's groping you?"   
  
"Yeah, the blond— he's what?!" Harry jerked around to look down at his body. He was so used to leaving his body by now, that he had forgotten he had company this time. Company who looked like he was going to start crying any second now.   
  
Interesting.   
  
Harry narrowed his eyes as he watched Malfoy check his pulse on his neck for the third time before moving to check his wrist again. He then smacked Harry's face gently and let out a strangled sound.   
  
"Oh bloody hell, I told him _not_ to freak out."   
  
"Is this the first time he's seen it?" Tonks asked, leaning over his shoulder and raising an eyebrow. "I remember Hermione's reaction was rather similar."   
  
"She didn't smack me," Harry grumbled.   
  
"You're right," Tonks agreed, "it was more like a punch."   
  
Draco was stumbling back from Harry's body, looking even paler under the black and white filter. Something about this was making Harry all too uncomfortable, and he found himself leaning back towards his body as if he could force himself back into it.   
  
"Well Harry, I can see you're eager to get back to your boyfriend. I'll try to push a bit from my side of things."   
  
"B-boyfriend?! No!" Harry screeched, backing away from her as if the thought was contagious. "For _one_ thing, he's a guy and, and for another, he's a Malfoy! That's an entirely different level of 'no'."   
  
"Really now? I hardly recognized him after all this time. He's grown rather handsome." Tonks hummed and gave Harry a playful wink before locking her hands behind her back and dancing backwards. "Well then, i'm off!"   
  
"Wait!" Harry called out as she started to fade, "tell Remus... er..." Harry faltered and dropped his outstretched hand. "Well, you know what to tell him."   
  
Tonks smiled sadly and gave him a quick salute before she was swallowed up by the darkness.   
  
Harry waited for a moment, feeling oddly empty after their visit had been cut short. He knew it was selfish, seeing as he wasn't supposed to be able to see them again, but every second of time with them was precious to him.   
  
A tug at the back of his mind let him know it was time, and he followed it back to his already cooling body.   
  
  
As always, the first breath of air after waking up was one of the most painful things Harry had ever experienced. As soon as his body realized it wasn't dead and there was the possibility of more oxygen, it panicked. Which just served to make the entire process harder to manage. To top it all off, someone was talking rather loudly near his ear.   
  
"... and I checked your bloody pulse so don't you _dare_ tell me you were just unconscious! What the hell was that? I don't appreciate you dying in my living room, you moron! Can your simple mind even _fathom_ what would happen to me? No, I doubt you even considered it. I would be locked away!" Malfoy paused to take a deep breath and continued on his rant, "Everyone would just assume that I killed the bloody 'savior' of the damned wizarding world!"   
  
" _Yes_ ," Harry snapped, his usual amount of Mafloy-enduced irritation doubling, "coming back to a screaming ferret is what every man needs after dying a little bit."   
  
Malfoy's face was just as pale as Harry had seen from above. Even as his cheeks started to pink with anger, he still looked like he had just been put through the ringer. He took a step back, fists clenching and unclenching at his side. For some reason, guilt was starting to eat away at Harry at the sight of him. So, instead of letting said ferret get more pissed off, he sat up and touched his arm to stop him from backing away further.   
  
"Sorry, I take that back," he said, meeting the blond's eyes for the first time in a while. It still shocked him how gray and turbulent they looked. "I didn't mean to—"   
  
"Die 'a little bit' in my living room? Sneak up on me? Call me a ferret?"   
  
Harry winced and drew his hand back as if burned. Okay, so he deserved that. "Can I go with option 'D' and say all of the above?"   
  
"Are you apologizing, Potter? I wasn't aware you had it in you."   
  
"If you stopped snapping at me, maybe I could dredge up some apologetic feelings for you."   
  
Malfoy actually snorted at this and threw himself back into the chair without a hint of his previous grace. Clearly, Harry's little out of body experience had taken a lot out of him.   
  
"Look, this is pretty normal for me so don't worry about it, okay?"   
  
"Who said I was _worried_ about you?" Malfoy asked with a sneer, "did you miss the part about a dead wizard in my living room? An ex-death eater's living room?"   
  
"Okay then," Harry said slowly, feeling a little put out. Why was he even surprised? Malfoy never gave an inch. "I just wanted to explain a little, but I guess it doesn't matter."   
  
"You might as well, since you seem to be determined to loiter in my apartment."   
  
Harry chuckled and ran a shaking hand through his hair. He was far too weak to get up and walk home, never mind apparating there. He also didn't exactly want to divulge one of his biggest secrets to his old enemy. But, in the end, he sort of owed the man after scaring him like that.   
  
"Okay, well," he began slowly, unsure of where to start, "it's been happening since Voldimort killed me. I just sort of—"   
  
" _Killed_ you? My mother said you were alive."   
  
"Uh, well..." Harry paused, losing track of his thoughts. "I _was_ dead, but I came back. So I wasn't lying when I testified at her trial. She really did save my life. Well, my second life."   
  
Malfoy was giving him a incredulous look and crossed his arm. "People do not 'come back', Potter. You have filled your quota of escaping death once already."   
  
"Are you calling me a liar?" Harry growled.   
  
Malfoy raised a dismissive hand and shook his head. "Not exactly. I just have trouble believing you actually passed on. Perhaps you only thought you did."   
  
"Right, so seeing Dumbledore and, and..." Harry bit his tongue, looking down. He _really_ didn't want to talk about this, not to Malfoy, not ever.   
  
"You saw him?"   
  
Harry didn't look up, but nodded anyway. " I don't really like thinking about it, to be honest."   
  
Malfoy scoffed, and Harry shot him a look. "Well isn't that exactly your problem?"   
  
"What?"   
  
"Not thinking about your problems doesn't make them magically disappear, Potter. It's no wonder you haven't figured out what this," he gestured to Harry's slumped figure, "nonsense is."   
  
"Thanks for _caring_ , but I actually do know what it is." He smiled bitterly and added, "mostly."   
  
"What is it then?"   
  
Harry shifted a little in his chair, his discomfort growing stronger. He had never told anyone what he saw when he left his body like that, not even Hermione. She knew that it happened, but only because he suddenly fell down dead while they were having lunch once. He was forced to explain it when he woke up, but he had carefully left one little detail out. Seeing the ghosts of his dead friends wasn't exactly something he wanted anyone to know. Especially not her, and defiantly not Ron. He knew what his best friend's reaction would be if he ever found out he saw Fred every few months. Jealousy was the least of his worries.   
  
But now, here was Malfoy, looking at him expectantly and growing a little impatient. He wasn't exactly an enemy anymore, but he wasn't a friend either. Maybe that's what made what he said next a little easier to part with.   
  
"The dead visit me."   


* * *

  
  
"You see the dead?"   
  
"Yes."   
  
"You see dead people?"   
  
Harry cringed. "I like to avoid saying it that way."   
  
"So," Malfoy mumbled, his expression thoughtful, "ever since you died, apparently, you have some sort of... out of body experience?"   
  
Harry nodded and couldn't help but feel a little hopeful. Maybe Malfoy could actually help him, he was from a pure blood family after all. Who knows what wizarding secrets he had locked away in his head.   
  
"Who do you see?"   
  
Harry hadn't expected that question, and it took him a minute to recover. Once again, he was in an area he didn't want to talk about. But, since he had already lost his mind and started opening up to the man, he might as well go full out.   
  
"Er, mostly Fred, Tonks, and Sirius. But a few others come out once in a while like Severus."   
  
Malfoy's expression had morphed from curiously to an anxious frown. It looked almost painful for him to drag his next question out. "Do you ever see... Crabbe?"   
  
Harry bit his lip and shook his head. "Not yet, no. Some people," he paused and swallowed a lump in his throat, "some people don't get to visit. Apparently they can't."   
  
"I see. I assume that means you've tried to contact specific people?"   
  
Harry shrugged and winced as it dragged at the cuts on his arm. He had almost forgotten about his wounds, and it wasn't a pleasant reminder of how he started his evening. Who would have expected his day to start and end with Malfoy of all people? A sudden thought occurred to him, and he glanced back at Malfoy curiously.   
  
"Why didn't you hear me call out to you?"   
  
"What?" Malfoy asked, blinking at the sudden change in conversation.   
  
"Earlier, when I was supposedly creeping up on you. I called your name a few times."   
  
To his surprise, Malfoy blushed, and then shuffled in his chair a little, looking purposely at the floor.   
"I was... distracted by something."   
  
"I yelled," Harry said pointedly.   
  
"I was listening to music, alright?!"   
  
"What?" Harry sat up and furrowed his brow. "What do you mean? I didn't see—"   
  
"I got one of those eye podded things your muggles are so fond of." Malfoy huffed and gave him a challenging look. "I enjoy being able to travel with my music."   
  
Harry let out a bark of laughter and quickly stifled it at the glare it earned him. It was impossible to not find that funny, not when Malfoy looked so damned embarrassed about it.   
  
"You're _kidding_ me. I end up with a sliced up arm all because Draco Malfoy was listening to his opera on his walk."   
  
Malfoy bristled and stood up suddenly, sweeping past Harry's chair with a huff. A moment later Harry heard the sounds of running water and the clatter of cups. He smiled to himself and relaxed back into the chair. He really shouldn't be so calm about this, but he also didn't have the energy to care who's apartment he was in anymore. Even with the gloomy atmosphere, it was starting to feel a little cozy.   
  
He was just staring to doze off when the lights came on in the room. He yelped and sat up straight in his chair, looking around wildly with his wand out and ready.   
  
"Who is the twitchy little ferret now, Potter?" Draco purred as he entered the room holding a tea tray. "Weren't you the one complaining about my 'cave' of an apartment?"   
  
Harry looked around the room and found it to be much more cheerful, now that he could actually see it. The furniture was no where near as ornate as the stuff he had spotted in the mansion, but it still held up to the rich and stuffy standards that one would expect from a Malfoy. The couch itself looked far too uncomfortable to actually sit on, but Harry noticed the way the cushions plumped up as Malfoy sat down.   
  
"It's much better in the light of day," Harry joked sitting up and pulling his arm to his chest. It was starting to ache again, and he knew he needed to get to a doctor sooner than later.   
  
"What do you take in it?"   
  
"Sorry?" Harry blinked at the cup Malfoy was holding up.   
  
"Tea, Potter. What do you take in it?"   
  
"Oh, just milk please," he mumbled awkwardly. Was Malfoy really offering him tea? If he wasn't already in pain, he'd pinch himself to see if he was dreaming. The cup was now hovering in front of his face, and Harry snatched it out of the air before it could do any damage. He could not hold back a smile when he saw the cup up close. It was, what could have been a basic white china tea cup, but had instead been heavily decorated with pink flowers and a gold trim. It was very much a tea cup an old lady would own, not Draco Malfoy.   
  
"You drink with your mouth, Potter, not your eyes."   
  
Harry looked up at him with a smirk and took a sip before responding, " _oh_ , I can think of a few things one drinks with their eyes."   
  
Malfoy promptly choked on his tea and sputtered, "I r-really don't want to know."   
  
With a laugh, Harry sat back and enjoyed the rest of his tea in silence, every so often looking up to see Malfoy watching him with an almost expectant look. Unsure of what the man wanted, he smiled and asked, "er, what is it that you do?"   
  
Malfoy scowled. Clearly that was not what he wanted.   
  
"I work as a consultant to the Ministry," he replied in a bland tone.   
  
"You do? I've never seen you."   
  
"I'm only brought in for special cases revolving around poisons and certain hexes."   
  
"Ah, that would explain it," he acknowledged, a little disappointed, "I'm mostly out in the field these days. Otherwise, i'm locked in my office with a bleeding mountain of paperwork."   
  
Malfoy chuckled and smirked over the top of his cup. Harry noted that it was actually a mug, not remotely related to the frilly thing _he_ was drinking from. He scowled, realizing that he was the only one sitting here sipping tea like a lady. Damn Malfoy.   
  
"I should be going," he grumbled, setting his half empty tea cup down on the try as he stood up. The room wobbled slightly, but no more than he could handle. "Thanks for bandaging me up, and for the tea, I guess."   
  
"I... see." Malfoy replied in an odd voice. "Of course."   
  
He then stood up straight and lead him to the door, moving in stiff, awkward movements. When Harry turned to say goodbye once more, he caught a deep frown crossing the blond's face before it changed back into his usual unimpressed scowl.   
  
"Well, bye then?"   
  
"I would appreciate it if you did not tell anyone where I live, Potter."   
  
"Oh, no. Of course not." He frowned, feeling awkward himself. "I won't."   
  
Malfoy stepped back and gave him a nod before shutting the door without another word.   
  
"Bye?" Harry muttered to the closed door and set off to find a staircase that lead outdoors.   
  
It was only after he found the main street that it struck him how different Malfoy had been between serving him tea, and showing him out. It was almost as if he had been enjoying the company, or expected Harry to enjoy his. In fact, maybe the frilly tea cup hadn't been a snub. It looked brand new compared to the old mug Malfoy was using.   
  
He set off down the street, headed for the closest floo connection and wondered if, maybe, Malfoy didn't get many visitors after all.   


 


End file.
